Welcome to Mat Leffler-Schulman‘s world. This is the view from the console at Mobtown Studios, though it’s not unusual to see Mat capturing live performances in music venues, warehouse spaces and wherever else musicians come together. In the few years since opening, Mobtown has made a strong case for being the favorite recording studio for local musicians. This probably has a lot to do with the great attitude of its owners, the professionalism in their work ethic and the space they’ve created which is particularly conducive to the creative process.
Recently Mobtown Studios has been hosting Microshows. Basically they work like this; a band comes in and performs, spectators fill whatever space is left, the whole session is recorded and the music is given away for free on the Mobtown website.
This formula may sound simple, but as a recipe for a live show, it’s incredibly potent. It was Mat’s wife and partner, Emily Leffler-Schulman, who first imagined the concept, which only goes to prove that behind every great man there’s a great woman who’s willing to put up with him.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
Yukon was in studio for the Microshow while we were visiting. If you’ve never heard Yukon try imagining that the band Tool was originally a jazz trio in the 1960’s who were influenced by Pink Floyd and then caught in a temporal disturbance during a live performance that transported them through space-time. They then found themselves on the International Space Station in the year 2056 where they were forced to perform and write music while orbiting the earth. In an attempt to travel back through time back to the 1960’s, they missed their mark and ended up in 2010 where they brought their futuristic/post-rock/mind warping/jazz, but not at all jazz/brain music, to Baltimore.
At least, that’s how I hear it.
Nick Podgursky is not only a phenomenal drummer and singer, he’s also a great guitar player as well. The talent in this band is staggering.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
Yukon‘s current line-up lends itself to a sleek, polished sound in which any dissonance is intentional and well-placed. Bass player Brad Smith holds down the low end and adds soul to a sound that at any time could easily veer of into the geekier outskirts of math-rock though Yukon avoids this fate. Instead the end result is music that is nothing less than epic.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
There was a muted tension in the room before the show. Many of those in attendance had never been in a recording studio during a session and weren’t sure what to expect. For the musicians who participate in the Microshows, the studio is one of the most intimate venues possible. Not only are they scrutinizing themselves more than usual as their music is being captured by the exacting array of microphones, their audience was literally at their feet watching every nuance, misstep and facial tick.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
Since moving to Baltimore from DC and starting Mobtown Studios in 2006, Mat and Emily Leffler-Schulman have somehow managed to position themselves at the epicenter of one of the most innovative and exciting music scenes in the country. Their discography reads like a wish list for an audiophile anthropologist trying to track the inception of a burgeoning 21st century culture that ventured out to claim an identity of its own. Many of the most important albums being recorded in Baltimore today are being recorded at Mobtown.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
This felt more like a campfire sing along rather than a live performance by a full band though Nick Podgursky was the only one singing. The feeling at the Mircroshow is not unlike being in on a secret. There’s a sense of exclusivity that arises when the band starts playing and you’re one of only twenty or so people who can even physically fit in the space to experience the show.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
Books, Live Music, Art Gallery and more!
Same block as Windup Space, across from Joe Squared. Plenty of room inside for your bike; FREE street parking for your car (we’ll plug your meter before 6, after that it’s free anyway) – come on over…
30 West North Ave.
Baltimore, MD, 21201
Even though guitarist Sam Garrett‘s fingers flit along the fret board with all the agility and grace of four tiny ballet dancers, no guitar player, not even Sam, can avoid the occasional broken string.
Photo by Brooke Hall.
